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"What the hell is Lloyd Grove doing with his life?" is a question we've heard at least five or six times this week, and that doesn't take into account the number of times we've been asked that very question since we broke news in various forms of his departure from the Daily News. Earlier this month we reported that TMZ.com had passed on making him their East Coast chief. Liz Smith reported Lloyd had made a deal with Vanity Fair, but wasn't forthcoming with specifics — leading many to speculate whether he landed a staff position.

The answer to that myth, of course, is "no," he is not on Graydon Carter's masthead. But he is writing for the magazine.

On Friday night we bumped in to him at Out magazine's Out 100 party. Lloyd at a gay party? We were as confused as you. But it turns out the ex-Lowdown gossip was there on assignment — for his VF piece. We hear the Out party was just one of many stops on New York gay gravy train, and that he's been hunting around town for the, ahem, power sluggers of the gay glitterati. (Unfortunately, we haven't been approached.)

So while Lloyd refused to tell us the focus of the article, we have surmised his fist post-NYDN gig is going to involve a lot of under eye moisturizer, David Barton's gym, and, in all likelihood, Simon Doonan.